India evacuates 742 Nepalis, distributes 24 tonnes relief

Defence Secretary R K Mathur on Tuesday said that Indian forces have evacuated around 742 Nepalis till date and distributed cumulative relief material of around 24 tonnes to the interior affected areas of the country.

"In terms of numbers, by now, through helicopters we have evacuated about 742 Nepalis. This includes those who were injured and were shifted to the military hospital, their attendants and so on," Mathur said at a press briefing here.

The Defence Secretary said that 82 Indians were evacuated back to Delhi through the fixed wing operations today, and the cumulative number has now come to, through the Air Force efforts, 2865.

"We have also distributed cumulative relief material of around 24 tonnes to these interior affected areas. We also launched the move for evacuation of stranded mountaineers at the Everest base; 19 mountaineers were evacuated from Lukla," Mathur said.

The Defence Secretary pointed out that India has also made three operational field hospitals with about 45 beds, where minor surgeries have been started.

Saturday's earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 people and was one of the worst calamities suffered by Nepal in over 80 years.

There is an acute shortage of food, water, electricity and medicines in Nepal. Locals in Kathmandu and other adjoining areas are spending their nights out in the open over fears of another earthquake.

Hundreds of people are still trapped under tonnes of rubble in Kathmandu and some of the worst-affected remote mountainous areas in the country.